How to Vet Candidates

Frequently people ask for my thoughts on the US Senate race.  I was a judge at one of the candidate forums, but there’s always so much more we want to know.

As a former candidate myself, I want to assure you that candidates like to be asked questions.  If they don’t want to answer questions, they shouldn’t run for office.   Being a candidate means one must answer questions—a lot of questions!

Candidates should give out their phone numbers and tell us where they live.  If a candidate doesn’t want to share this information, that is a red flag that this person may be unqualified for office.  Being in office involves representing the people, which means we offer our constituents access to us.

Many times when I was in the House of Representatives, if a phone was ringing, I would answer it.  Frequently, the constituent would ask if it was really me—like he or she would be shocked that I would answer my own phone.  Ha ha.  It was worth answering the phone just to surprise my constituents!

Here are some examples of good questions to ask your candidates:

1.)    What do you think of the 17^th amendment?

2.)    Tell me about your homelife and family?

3.)    Are you more hawkish or non-interventionist?

4.)    In what other offices have you served?

5.)    Do you go to church anywhere?

6.)    What are your thoughts on “The Convention of the States”?

Don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions.  If you read a negative newspaper article about your candidate, it’s likely that your candidate also read it and is eager to set the record straight.  You give these candidates a gift by allowing them to clear the air and present their side of the story.

Be friendly and open and positive.  Encourage them when they give the right answers and don’t argue with them when they give the wrong answers.  Always be ready to explain the right answers if they want to be educated.

There is an educational benefit to the candidate by running the campaign.  Let your interaction be a way to help make them into better candidates.

Candidate forums have limitations that don’t exist on our Home Front show.

Over the next few weeks, I am vetting Candidates on my show, Home Front.  I urge you to go to my website and listen to some of these podcasts so you can gain deeper insights into what is in the heart of the candidate.  Share them with your friends as well.

This week I interview Austin Petersen to give our listeners an insider’s glimpse into what he’s really like.  Austin ran for the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President of the United States.  Now he is running for the nomination to be the Republican candidate for US Senate.

I watched the Libertarian race with great interest because of the values it revealed about the candidates.  At the end of the process, the nominee for the Libertarian Party, Gary Johnson, was exposed for being more left-leaning than Austin.  It’s always better to find out before the election.

What do you think of US Senate Candidate Austin Petersen?

WHAT YOU CAN DO…

1.)  Listen to our interview with Austin Petersen and share it with others.  You can hear it by clicking here:

2.)  The Home Front newsletter and podcast continues. Your involvement to fund our ongoing efforts, research and equipment will make a difference. If you want to continue to support us in this effort, you can mail a check to this address:

Cynthia Davis
824 Bricken Place
Warson Woods, MO 63122

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A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR